Senator Barry Loudermilk and Representative Ed Setzler’s Private Right of Action Bill, SB 210, has been refused a committee hearing in the Georgia House. Atlanta Journal Political writer Jim Galloway has this to say about the bill’s effect,

“Pro-life forces have long suspected that many of the state restrictions imposed on physicians who perform abortions – parental consent for women under 18 among them – are routinely ignored. Enforcement by the state is nearly non-existent, they claim.

SB 210 would allow another avenue for enforcement, through civil suits.”

Georgia House Speaker has said that SB 210 will not have a committee hearing this session. He was quoted in the Atlanta Journal.

““When you’re dealing with things that are so fundamental and so important, it seems to me that’s an issue we ought to be having a serious, thoughtful discussion about,” Ralston said. “I’m not sure that happened over there [in the Senate]. I’m not sure there’s enough time to have the kind of serious discussion that requires over here.”

This seems reasonable until you hear the qualifying facts. The facts are that this bill was part of another bill in 2010 (SB 529) that passed three House Judicial Committees, a Senate Judicial Committee, and the full Senate. It has had plenty of vetting. Truthfully, the 2010 version of the bill was much stronger language than this year’s version. And there IS enough time for it to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee if Speaker David Ralston wanted it heard.

We have worked closely with the leadership of the Senate the last three years and have been overwhelmed by the strong cooperation and support of Lt Governor Casey Cagle, President Pro Tem Tommie Williams and Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers. Nearly all of our prolife legislation has passed with mostly unanimous Republican support. We commend the Senate for representing Georgia’s prolife values and working hard to protect the most vulnerable among us.

In contrast, the House’s response the last two years seems to confirm a troubling trend. Meaningful prolife bills lack House Leadership support. This is entirely a House Leadership problem. We have the floor votes to pass any prolife bill in the House . . . if House Leadership would permit the bills to proceed. The Senate has passed four pro-life bills in three years. None of the prolife bills that originated in the Senate have been allowed to come to the floor of the Georgia House for a vote. And now it is happening again.

Please call the Georgia House Leadership and ask them, “Why the House Leadership continues to block meaningful pro-life legislation . . . especially legislation that has been passed in other states and has a proven track record of saving lives?” (You are unlikely to get through to the legislator, leave a message with your name with the secretary. The calls will only take you 5 or 6 minutes to complete.)